Knitting machine



Nov. 7, 1933.

H. ALBERTMAN ET AL KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed June 1, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- A ORNEY1 Nov. 7, 1933.,-

H. ALBERTMAN Ell AL KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed June 1, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR? M ORNEY KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed June 1, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 N v 7, 193 H. ALBERTMAN ET AL KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed June 1, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4:

lliii l if llli ORNEKS 7, 1933- H. ALBERTMAN El AL 1,933,542

KNITTING MACHINE .Original Filed June 1. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 NTOR I 62% K fi /AmNEYz' Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,933,542 KNITTING moms Application June 1, 1927, Serial No. 195,804 Renewed April 11, 1932 32 Claims.

The invention relates to knitting machines, and more especially to circular knitting 'machines, and has among its objects to provide a knitting machine capable of making complex fabrics and articles, and also to provide improved mechanism for automatic and semi-automatic control of the functioning of the various parts and devices of knitting machines.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following description of the circular rib machine shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the knitting machine, certain parts and adjustments of the machine not directly concerned with the invention being omitted. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a portion of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a detail of the mounting of a part of the pattern mechanism. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the controller or centralized controlling element, the adjacent portion of the machine on which it is supported being shown in section. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the same controller as seen from inside the cam. ring, and Fig. 6 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 'l is a plan view of some intermediate mechanism on the cam ring which is used in controlling the action of the patterning mechanism. Fig. 8 is an elevation thereof in its position for changing the operation of the pattern mechanism. and Fig. 9 is a similar elevation showing this mechanism in its normal inoperative position. Fig. 10 is a plan view of mechanism cooperating with the controller for raising and lowering the needle-raising cams and the respectively cooperating stitch cams for the cylinder needles. Fig. 11 is a front elevation of the same with the needleraising cam depressed out of action and the stitch cam raised, Fig. 12 is a similar elevation with the needle raising cam raised and in needle-operating position and the stitch cam depressed to draw longer stitches, and Fig. 13 is a sectional elevation showing the same cams in perspective. Fig. 14 is a plan view of mechanism to cooperate with the controller to move dial cams to and from operative position. Fig. 15 is a similar plan View showing the same cams in other positions, and Fig. 16 is a sectional elevation of the same mechanism. Fig. 17 is a plan view, partly in section, of the yarn changing mechanism. Fig. 18 is an elevation thereof, and Fig. 19 is a horizonal midsection of the same mechanism to show the lower levers thereof. Fig. 20 is an elevation of one of the latch-holding plates. showing the relation of the fingers of the yarn changer therelo. Fig. 21 is a sectional view of the same plate and a yarn finger. Fig. 22 is a plain view of one or the needle raising cams which act through the levers oi the pattern mechanism. Fig. 23 is a plan view of mechanism which moves into and out of action still another raising cam for the cylinder needles, to cause them to cast off at will. Fig. 24 is an elevation thereof, and Fig. 25 is a sectional view showing the same in elevation. Fig. 26 is a detail of is. clutch of the pattern mechanism. Fig. 27 is a sectional elevation of the mechanism which cooperates with the central controller to shift a control ring in one direction. Fig. 28 is an elevation of the mechanism which the some ring in the opposite direction.

As before stated, many parts and adjustments not directly concerned with the invention, and the nature of which will be understood lay those skilled in the art, have been omitted from the drawings for clearness of illustration. The needle cylinder 1 is stationary in this machine chosen to illustrate the invention, and rests on the bed of the machine which consists of the Sta tionary annular members 2 and 3 and cover plate l; these may be attached together and supported in any suitable manner. The cylinder needles 5 (see Fig. 2; the location of the needles in Fig. l is indicated Toy the broken line 5c) are of the latch type and slide in grooves in the cylinder as customary. In each groove below the needle however is a needle jack 6 (Fig. 2) having a butt '7 55 and preferably a rather enlarged foot 8, the lattor for adequately engaging with the levers here== after described; in efiect these jacks are er.- tensions or elongations of the needles to provide space for the levers and the convenient location or" other parts of the pattern mechanism later described. The usual cam ring is shown at 9, and has for each feed, a stitch or retracting cam 10 and a raising cam 12 (Figs. ll to 13) for the cylinder needles; it may also have a 95 cam to engage the butts 7 of the jacks to retract the latter simultaneously with or slightly in advance of the retraction of the corresponding needles. Preferably the retracting cams 10 are adjustable vertically so that they can he made to 1% draw either long or short stitches (of. their positions in Figs. 11 and 12). The raising cams 12 are likewise adjustable vertically so that they can be raised to a position (Fig. 12) in which they can engage the butts of the needles and raise the latter to the point where the loops drop below the latches, or can be depressed to a lower position (Fig. 11) where they are well below the needle butts and hence are inoperative. Suitable mechanism for raising and lowering the cams 10 and 12 is described hereinafter. The cam ring 9 can be supported on the bed-plate 3 as indicated in Fig. 2, and can be driven by a suitable spur gear engaging teeth in the outer edge 14 of the ring; for the purposes of this description it can be assumed that the cam ring rotates continuously in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. The gear or gears for this ring, and indeed the whole machine, can be driven in any suitable manner by the power shaft or shafts 15 (Fig. 1). There are four feeds in the machine illustrated, (the invention is not limited to any particular number of feeds however), one feed being substantially at each of the brackets 16 in Fig. 1. These brackets support the yarn chang- 'ing mechanism (Figs. 1 and 18), and are fixed to the center disc of the dial cam plate. The dial structure is supported by the shaft 1'7 (Fig. 1) as usual, and the dial needles (also of the latch type) are carried and slide as usual in radial slots in the dial 18 which is held against rotation in some approved manner as will be understood; as usual the dial needles project between adjacent cylinder needles. Vertical posts 21 on the cam ring 9 carry the superstructure (not shown) to which the shaft 17 extends and which carries the yarn cones, stop motions, etc. and by means of these posts and certain brackets (Fig. 1), the superstructure and dial cam plate 20 is rotated synchronously by and with the cam ring 9.

The pattern mechanism shown, of the jacquard type, here used to control only the cylinder needles, and which is used to work a design into the fabric as and when needed, is divided into a number of sections or units 26 which are distributed around the machine axis outside the needle cylinder and bank of jacks, as appears from Figs. 1 and 2. Each unit is supported by an individual pair of brackets 27 fixed on the lower bed 2 of the machine (Fig. 2). These units or sections are alike in detail, and a description of one will serve for all. In each unit a horizontal pattern drum 28 has its bearings in the two brackets 27. This drum has a number of longitudinal equally spaced recesses 29 and the patterns or sections of the pattern controlling element 30 which runs over the drums, can be in the form of belts; pins 31 in the ends of each drum enter driving perforations in the edges of the pattern section 30 to carry the pattern along as the drum is turned. The pattern 30 can be a rather strong paper or other relatively light and mechanically weak material, and is perforated in accordance with the control to be exercised on the needles; 9. g., the design to be knit. The pattern-determining perforations are to be so arranged that successive assortments of the perforations, i. e. successive calls of the pattern, fall on successive longitudinal slots 29. Above the drum and pattern is a group of pins or pattern feelers 33, arranged in a row crosswise to the pattern 30, and each of these is slidable in two straps 32a punched up from an individual lever 32 which serves to couple the respective feeler to the needle cylinder and a needle or two or three adjacent needles therein. A coiled spring 32b, surrounding each feeler between a collar 32c thereon and the upper strap 32a, lightly presses the feeler toward the drum so that each feeler will enter a slot 29 whenever a perforation in the pattern 30 is presented to that feeler; otherwise the spring simply presses the feeler lightly against the paper without injuring the latter. A single horizontal bar 34 passes through the horizontal slots 38 in the 1 vers 32 of each section 26, to support the outer ends of the entire group as a unit. The inner ends of all the levers rest on a second cam ring 36 which is driven synchronously with the upper ring 9 by means of a spur-gear (not shown) which meshes with the spur teeth 37. A light individual spring 35 normally serves to hold each lever outwardly to the limit of its slot 38 as indicated in Fig. 2, in which position the ends of the levers are outside the circle of the feet of the jacks. Cams 39 on the ring 36 (see Fig. 22; one cam for each feed of the machine, or at least one for each feed that is pattern-controlled), raise the inner ends of all the levers as they pass beneath the levers; these cams are located in substantially the same angular positions as the needle raising cams 12,that is to say, respectively substantially below them, and obviously raise the levers progressively, i. e. substantially seriatim, as the cam cylinder rotates and as the feeds pass the corresponding needles. When the levers 32 are in their retracted or outward positions shown in Fig. 2, the lifting of the levers by these cams 39 has no effect on the needles, for the inner ends of the levers then pass the feet 8 of the jacks without touching them. When one of the feelers 33 finds a perforation in the pattern 30 however, and falls into a slot 29, the subsequent turning of the drum a partturn (as by the Geneva movement later described), forces the rear wall of the respective slot against the feeler and therethrough moves the feeler and its lever inwardly until the inner end of the lever stands under the foot or feet 8 of the corresponding jack or jacks (or needle or needles). With a lever in such a position, a cam 39, passing underneath the lever, acts therethrough to raise the corresponding jack or jacks 6 and thereby the corresponding needle or needles 5 to the uppermost position wherein the previously-formed loops are dropped below the needle latches and yarn is taken on from the yarn guide of the respective feed. The cams 39 are needle raising cams therefore, as well as lever operators. It is here assumed that the needle-raising cams 12 are depressed to their inoperative positions when the pattern mechanism is operating. This raising of the levers by the cams 39 also lifts the respective feelers 33 from the slots 29 of the pattern drum and from the perforations in the pattern; however, the immediate return of the levers under the pull of the springs 35 is prevented by'cam or cams 39; when the levers are pushed in under the jacks, the cams engage and operate within the lever slots 40 and thus temporarily hold each raised lever inward against the pull of the springs 35 after the respective feeler has left the slot 29. When however, the stitch cam 10 starts to depress a needle, or shortly before this action. the cam 39 that has raised the corresponding lever, releases the latter for return outwardly, and preferably the rear or trailing ends of the cams 39 are so shaped (Fig. 22) that they then act to positively return the raised levers to their outer rest positions shown in Fig. 2 (assisting the springs 35 in this action) and preferably they let the feelers 33 down on the paper again only as the levers approach or reach their outermost positions. Preferably furthermore, the feelers are let down onto a portion of the pattern resting on an unslotted part of the drum or pattern support.

It will thus be observed that when a design is being knittedinto the fabric by the aid of the pattern mechanism, each pattern lever 32 is to be acted on (and either pushed in underneath its jack or jacks or left at rest in its outer position (prior to the arrival of a cam 39 (or each cam 39) at the respective lever. This is accomplished by properly timing the calls on (and the possible pushing in of each lever individually with respect to the individual revolutions of the earns 39 around the machine axis, i. e. with respect to the revolution of each feed or at least each feed the knitting of which is intended to be variable in the production of the desired design; each selected lever is thus pushed in at a time when, for the moment, no cam 39 is in engagement with it. In turn this timing of the levers is accomplished here by timing individually the turning of the pattern drums 28 with respect to the movement of the cams 39 and the feeds; where the drums are rotated step by step and each is adapted to act on a number of its levers simultaneously as a unit as here shown, the timing of the drums is accomplished by turning each drum a step to advance its selected levers while all cams 39 are opposite and working on levers of other sections 26. The turning of a drum which produces a new call of the respective pattern section 30 on its feelers (i. e., the presenting of a new array of perforations to its feelers) may be a preliminary part of that turning of the drum which pushes selected levers inwardly; or it may be a separate step occurring prior to the turning which pushes levers inwardly. In the present instance, each drum is turned to push levers inwardly while the nearest approaching cam 39 is opposite and working on levers of the section 26 immediately ahead of it, and the pattern mechanism is divided into enough sections 28 to permit this action, i. e. there are eight sections 26 for the four feeds. The drums 28 are turned therefore progressively around the machine axis, i. e. successively, one after another, and the pushing in of the selected pattern levers 32 is a progressive action round and round the machine, proceeding at the same angular rate as the cam rings and feeds but always somewhat in advance of each cam 39 and the accompanying feed. This action accommodates the continuous movement of the cams, and accommodates that feature which is peculiar to circular knitting machines, namely, the fact that in such machines the cams are always in action on some of the needles, etc., and always hold some part or parts of the machine locked so that all the levers selected for a complete rotation of the cam ring cannot be operated simultaneously.

Since such mechanism as above described can cause any stitch-forming element it controls to act or remain inactive at any feed, it is obvious that designs of any complexity can be knitted by it (for example different colored yarns can be used at the different feeds and each knitted in, as and when the design may require), and since the patterns 30, being of paper or the like, can be of substantially any length, substantially any length of repeat can be obtained.

The drums 28 are here driven by the shafts 45, one for each drum (Fig. l) these shafts are laid radially as appears from Fig. l, and can be driven by spur-gears (not shown) meshing with the teeth 3'7 on the lower portion 36 of the cam ring. Each shaft terminates outwardly in a spiral gear 46 meshing with a coacting gear wheel 47 which is, or is connected to, the driver or pin wheel of an intermittent gearing of the type commonly known as a Geneva movement; both the shaft and the driver 4'7 can be mounted in bearings carried by one of the brackeis 27. The coacting driven or radially-slotted wheel 48 (Figs. 1 and 26) of the intermittent gearing is mounted coaxially with and is locked to the respective pattern drum for turning the latter. (A quite similar intermLtent motion is more completely illustrated in Fig. 4 in connection with the central controller of the machine, and this figure may be referred to for a further showing.) It is apparent that by a proper selection of gear ratios and the number of slots in the driven wheel 48, and the proper angular location of the slots in the driven wheel 48 with respect to the slots 29 (all of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art), each and every pattern drum 28 can be turned in the time relation to the motion of the cam cylinder and the cams before described.

The driven wheels 48 can be fixed directly to the shafts 49 of the pattern drums 28, but in order to permit the ready adjustment of the patterns or pattern sections 30 with respect to each other (so that the different parts of the design, as knitted, will bear the proper relation to each other), the driven wheels 48 are preferably releasable from the various pattern drums. For this purpose a clutch (Fig. 26) is employed between the driven wheels 48 and the respective shafts 49. Each clutch comprises a sleeve 50 (Figs. 1 and 26) slidable on an end of the respective drum-shaft 49, and the driven wheel 48 is mounted and free to turn on the shaft 49; 50 and as have correspondingly axially-extending teeth for locking one to another, a ring 51 with set screw holds 4.8 in place longitudinally on the shaft. The shaft is counter-bored to receive a sliding pin 52, and a cross pin 53, lying in two opposite slots in the shaft end, connects 52 to sleeve 50; an internal spring bearing against a collar on pin 52 urges the pin 52 inwardly and thereby intermeshes the teeth of sleeve 50 will the teeth of the driven wheel 48. The outside of the sleeve 50 may be knurled. By pulling out the sleeve slightly, against the spring, the sleeve and shaft can be freed from the driven wheel 48 temporarily and the pattern drum then turned forward or back as the proper positioning of the respective pat ern section 30 may require. On releasing the sleeve, the drum is again locked to the WheeL lS.

In order to permit the patterning devices inscribed to be taken out of action and returned to operation again at will, arrangement is made for discontinuing the pattern-feeling relation of the feelers 33 to the pattern 30, by withdrawing the pattern drums and the respective rows of feelers relatively, one with respect to the other; pref eraoly this is done by removing the feelers from the drums, the latter being left in their places. To this end the bars 34 which support the outer ends of the levers 32, are made individually movable in a vertical direction. When the bars 34 are in the lowermos: positions illustrated in fu'l lines in Fig. 2, the pattern mechanism acts to form patterned fabric as described. By raising the bars 34 and therewith the outer ends of the levers 32 to the higher position indicated by the broken lines in the same figure, the feelers 33 cams 12 then being raised to operate the needles in lieu of cams 39. In the alternative, plain fabric can be knitted, either with or without change of yarn, by taking off the patterns 30 so that every feeler falls into every slot, or by so perforating the patterns that every feeler falls into every slot. Where plain and figured fabrics are alternated at frequent intervals however, it is more convenient to put the pattern mechanism out of action, as, for example, by removing the feelers from the pattern, and insert the cams 12 than it is to remove the patterns 30 or provided the extra length of patterns 30 that would be required if the plain knitting were done by the aid of the patterns. Taking the pattern sections out of action avoids the necessi'y of taking off the patterns or making the patterns 30 extra long as will be apparent. After doing plain knit work by thecams 12, the machine is restored to figure work again by simply lowering the cams 12 and the bars 34. To lift and lower the bars 34 in the machine shown, these bars are mounted in yokes 58, one for each bar (Figs. 1, 2 and 3), and these yokes in turn are supported by individual rods 59 which penetrae the upper bed-plate 3 and cover plate 4 and the individual guides 60 mounted on the cover plate (Fig. 2). A spring 61 and collar 62 on each rod tend to hold the rod and yoke depressed, in which position the levers 32 are carried low enough for the feelers 33 to engage the pattern 30 as shown in Fig. 2. The upper end of the bracket 60 has a horizontal slot 63, while the rod 59 carries a slide 64 riding in the S10, these co-acting to prevent the rod 59 turning in its seat. The slide 64 also serves as a lifting shoulder engageable by the lifting wheel 65 (Figs. 2-and 3). This lifting wheel 65 (of which there is one for each pattern section 26, so that each section can be con rolled independently of every other one) has elevated shoulders on its periphery and intermediate depressions. When a slide 64 rests in one of the depressions as shown in the figures, the levers 32 of that pattern section are in their lower and operative positions indicated, but when the wheel 65 is turned so that the slide 64 rides up on and is held by one of its elevated shoulders, then the rear ends of those levers 32 are held so high that their feelers are out of contact with the pattern 30 as before described and hence that section of the pattern mechanism ceases to function. In the present instance, the turning of all the lifting wheels 65 is controlled by the automatic controller or central controlling mechanism before mentioned; this acts indirectly on the individual star wheels 66 which are fastened to the shafts 67 carrying the respective lifting wheels 65.

The controller or central controlling mechanism referred to (marked 69 in Fig. 1 and shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5 and 6) directs the operations of the whole machine, rendering the machine substantially automatic. Furthermore, it is so constructed and organized that its pattern or directing element '70 can be a perforated strip of paper or other light, thin, and mechanicallyweak material. By making the controlling element 70 of paper or the like, this pattern may be of great length if necessary, and hence a great number of changes in the operations of the va rious parts of the knitting machine can be brought about during the knitting of a fabric. Hence very complicated fabrics and products can be made substantially automatically with the assistance of this mechanism. Also, being of perforated paper or the like, these patterns are easily made and duplicated, are cheap, and new ones can be substituted readily for old ones. The invention is not entirely limited to the pattern being made of paper or the like however, as will become apparent. Furthermore, while there is novelty in the controller itself and the control it exercises, and in the individual mechanisms through which it is made effective on the various parts of the machine, and while this controller and the particular types of coacting mechanisms illustrated serve peculiar important purposes in the illustrated combinations, it will be apparent as the description proceeds that the invention described herein is not entirely limited to this type of controller or the illustrated combinations or the coacting mechanisms illustrated. Various of the coacting mechanisms are suited for use apart from the controller illustrated, and controllers of the type illustrated can be used apart from the types of coacting mechanisms shown.

The controller 69 illustrated is intended to be held fixed in position in machines in which, like the machine illustrated, the needle beds are stationary and the cam rings rotate. This controller is provided with devices 71, '72, 73 and '74 which somewhat resemble bob-pins in function and operation; in each machine a suflicient number is provided to perform the desired operations as will become apparent. These bob-pins are raised and lowered according to the dictates of the controller pattern '70 so as to be struck (or have extensions from the pins struck) by fingers or the like revolving around the machine axis relative to the controller. In order that the controller pattern 70 may be made of paper or the like, these pins are supported and raised to their various positions by means other than the pattern, leaving to" the pattern substantially only the bare function of selecting the bob-pin to act and, where necessary, the action the called bob-pin is to perform. To this end, each bob-pin rests on one or more individual sliding levers, of which 76 is one. Each lever has a feeler coacting with the controller pattern and the feelers are preferably arranged in a row cross-wise of the pattern. The feelers '75 may be mounted in the controller levers substantially as the feelers 33 are mounted in the pattern levers 32. -Underneath the row of feelers, the pattern 70 is carried on a horizontal drum 78 having longitudinal slots 79 in its periphery, and generally resembling the drum 28 of the pattern mechanism heretofore described; the drum '78 is supported by brackets extending from and underneath the bed-plate 3. The pattern is perforated along its edges to receive driving pins 80 on the ends of the drum as before, and the bob-pin-controlling perforations in the pattern are arranged to fall above the slots 79. This drum 78 also can be turned step by step and by an intermittent gearing or Geneva movement. In the present instance such a gearing for the drum 78 is driven from one of the shafts 45 of the pattern mechanism. In Fig. 4 it will be seen that a miter gear 81 on this shaft 45 intermeshes with a similar miter gear 82, and the latter, through a train of gearing 83, drives a pin wheel which drives the slotted wheel 84. This slotted wheel 84 may are slotted and pivoted near their middles as shown at 88 in Fig. 4, (at their middles rather than at their ends for convenience of construction and compactness), and the lever-carrying bar 88 is fixed to the upper bed-plate 3 of the machine. A downwardly-operating cam or cams 89 is provided on the lower face of the upper cam ring 9 to operate the levers. The springs normally hold the levers to the left, outwardly, so that their inner ends are out of the path of the cam or cams 89 (Fig. 4) but when one of the feelers-75 finds a perforation in the pattern 70, the subsequent turn of the drum 78 causes the rear wall of the corresponding slot 79 to push against that feeler and thereby push the corresponding lever inwardly into the cam path. This is done (by causing the drum 78 to turn at the proper time) while no cam 89 is opposite the levers. When, next, one of these cams-reaches the advanced lever or levers, it then depresses the inner ends of the advanced lever or levers and raises their outer ends, thereby lifting the corresponding bob-pin or pins. At the same time it withdraws the feeler from the perforation in the pattern and the slot 79. As the cam 89 passes off the levers, the latter are pulled down and retracted by the springs 85, i. e., they are returned to their outer positions, and simultaneously the raised bob-pins also fall, either by gravity or under the tension of appropriate springs, some of which are hereinafter mentioned specifically. There may be as many cams 89 as are necessary, depending entirely on the functions to be performed by the controller, it being necessary that there be one of these cams to operate the controller levers each time one or more of the bob-pins is to be raised. In the present instance there are as many of these cams 89 as there are feeds on the machine, namely four, so that mechanism related to each feed can be controlled independently of all the others; hence the drum 78 is so turned that four of the slots '79 are carried by the row of feelers 75 in each rotation of the cam ring. Each of these cams is so related to its feed (so placed on the cam ring) that it reaches the levers of the controller slightly in advance of the time when the feed reaches the controller position, and is long enough to hold the bob-pins raised until after the control fingers of the corresponding feed have passed the controller.

In the present instance the bob-pin '71 of the controller directs the functioning of the pattern mechanism, e. g. puts this mechanism (sections 26) into or out of action by causing the turning of the star wheels 66 previously described. This bob-pin 71 carries a plate 90 from which an extension 91 reaches toward the cam cylinder; a spring 92 tends to depress the pin and plate to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. From the side of the cam ring 9 projects a finger 93 on a sliding carrier 94 (Figs. 1, 2, '7, 8 and 9; only one finger and plate for the machine where, as here, all the pattern mechanisms are to be taken out of action together and returned to action together). When this carrier and finger are elevated (Fig. 8), the end 95 of the finger 93 is in position to strike the star wheels 66 (Fig. 3) as the cam ring rotates and brings the finger 93 to them. It then turns each star wheel one point as it passes them successively. Since the star wheels 66 are the operators for the lifting wheels 65 of the raisers for the pattern mechanism levers 32 as before described, this action either raises the levers 32 and thereby the feelers 83 out of contact with the pattern 30, or (if the levers 32 and feelers are already in their upper position) lets the slide 64 fall into one of the depressions in the wheel 65, thereby returning the feelers 33 to the pattern and restoring the pattern mechanism to operation. In its lower position (Figs. 2 and 9) the finger 93 and point 95 are entirely below the star wheels and hence will pass these wheels without turning them. A spring 97 tends to hold the slide 94 in this lower position. A lever 98 serves to raise the slide under the thrust of the bob-pin extension 91. When the bob-pin 71 stands in its lozver position, its extension 91 is below the path of lever 98 and this lever then passes the extension without striking it. The pattern sections 26 remain functioning therefore, or non-functioning, as they may have been left by the last turning of the star wheels. Raising the bob-pin '71 however, puts its extension 91 in the path of the lever 98 (Fig. 9), and this lever now rides up on this extension as the rotation of the cam ring carries this mechanism by the controller, and this raises the slide 94 and pin 93 to their upper or operating position. A spring latch 99 now snaps under a shoulder on the slide 94 (Fig. 8) and holds the slide 94 up. The slide 9 will remain up therefore for at least one complete rotation and change the functioning of all the pattern sections. Should the bob-pin still be up, or be raised again, when the lever 98 again reaches the controller, the slide 94 will be allowed to remain up for another complete revolution, and thus immediately restore the pattern sections to their initial positions. Usually, however, this action will be employed only when the change in functioning of the pattern sections is to continue for a number of rows of stitches, and hence the bobpin 71 will be depressed when the lever again comes opposite the controller. In fact with the controller arrangement shown the bob-pin '71 will fall as soon as the cam 89 which raised it passes the controller. Hence the bob-pin will be be found down when the lever 98 reaches the controller again unless a second perforation in the pattern has caused it to rise a second time. In this depressed position, the extension 91 is not only below the path of the lever 98 as before explained, but also stands in a position where it will be struck by the beveled end (see Fig. 7) of the latch 99, and thus this latch will be pushed inward at the end of the first complete rotation of the cam ring, pushed from beneath the shoulder on the plate 94, and thus the plate 94 and finger 93 will fall to inoperative position and the pattern sections will remain in the position given them by the preceding rotation of the parts. It is apparent therefore that by a single perforation in the controller pattern '70 and a single operation of the controller lever 76 and bob-pin '71, all the pattern sections 26 can be taken out of action (or put into action), and that they will then remain out of action (or in action) until another single perforation in the pattern 70 comes underneath the feeler of lever 76. This will then cause all the sections 26 to be restored to their original state.

The bob-pin '72 of the controller serves to raise and depress the needle cams 12 which are here used as the means to operate the cylinder needles when the sections 26 are out of action as before described. These cams 12 are independently mounted, and are arranged to be independently raised and depressed, so that the knitting of the cylinder needles at each feed is wholly independent of the knitting at the other feeds. Each cam is mounted in the manner illustrated in Figs. 10 to 13. A sliding vertical pin 105 supports each cam 12 inside the cam ring 9. The upper end of this pin is connected to a vertically sliding rack 106 geared to a pinion mounted on the cam ring 9 and keyed to anoperating finger 107. While this finger is to the right, the cam 12 is in its lower or inoperative position (Fig. 11) By moving the finger 107 to the left however, the pinion is turned and raises its rack 106 until (Fig. 12) the cam 12 reaches its upper or operative position. A spring latch 109 then snaps out under a shoulder on the rack and holds the cam raised against the thrust of the needles. When the latch is pushed back from under the shoulder, the cam will fall again to its inoperative position, either under the thrust of the needle butts or because of the spring illustrated, or both. The lower ends of the fingers 107 are at the same level; likewise, the latches 109 all lie in the same level, and this level is below the level of the fingers 107 when the latter are to the left (Fig. 12). An extension 110 from the bob-pin 72 is normally below the level of the latches 109, but can be raised to this level or to the upper level of the fingers 107. To raise the bob-pin 72 to these two positions it is made subject to two controller levers 112 and 113; these are generally like the lever 76, and like each 'other except that the inner end of the lever 112, that is to say, the end which engages the cams 89, reaches somewhat higher than the same end of the lever 113. To depress a raised cam 12, a perforation is made at the proper place in the pattern so that the lever 113 is pushed inward by the drum 78 (in the manner before described) in time to be engaged by the appropriate cam 89. This cam then depresses the inner end and thereby raises the outer end of the lever 113, and thereby raises the bob-pin 72 high enough to place its extension 110 in the path of the latches 109. Normally the spring 111 holds the bob-pin depressed. As the oncoming feed passes the controller therefore, after lever 113 has raised the bob-pin, latch 109 of that feed will strike the extension 110 and be pushed in from under the shoulder of its rack, and the cam 12 will 'fall. To raise a depressed cam 12, a perforation is provided at the proper place for the feeler of the lever 112; this causes the appropriate cam 89 to operate the lever 112, and lift the bob-pin 72 by this lever, but since the lever 112 reaches deeper into the path of the cam than does the lever 113, the lever 112 raises the bob-pin higher, namely, into the path of the fingers 107. Accordingly the finger 107 of the oncoming feed will now strike the extension 110 and thereby be moved from the position in Fig. 10 to the position in Fig. 12, thus raising its cam 12 and permitting latch 109 to snap out to hold it- Sincethe bob-pin 72 drops as soon as a cam 89 leaves either the lever 112 or the lever 113, only one of the cams 12 is raised or depressed by a single perforation in the pattern 70; since the pattern 70 makes a call on the feelers prior to the arrival of each feed, however, and since there are as many cams'89 as there are feeds, all the cams 12 can be raised or lowered in a single rotation of the cam rings, or any selected one or lot of these cams. A

The swing cams of the dial are controlled in an analogous manner by the controller bob-pin 74. The swing or needle-projecting cams 120 of the dial cam ring (ordinarily one for each feed) are slotted at 119 to receive the butts of the dial nee dles (Figs. 14, 15 and 16); each can be swung to a position in which the needles will all be projected to the yam-taking positions, and where their old loops are dropped behind their latches (Fig. 14), or can be retracted to a position (Fig. 15) in which the needles are hardly projected at all and neither take on yarn nor drop the loops behind the latches. To turn these cams 120 on their pivots, each has a pin 121 which projects through a slot in the dial cam plate 20 into the grasp of a lever 122 which is mounted on the cam plate 20. A link or links 123 couple the power arm of the lever to a crank head 124 on a shaft 126 projecting from the top of the cam ring 9, and levers or operating fingers 125 and 127, projecting from the ring 9, act to turn the shaft one way or the other to swing the respective cam 120 under the thrust of extension 130 of the bob-pin 74. Both fingers 125 and 127 (of each single cam 120) are hinged to the same pin 128 on the top of the cam ring, 125 being below 127. They connect to the opposite ends of an intermediate double-crank member 129 on shaft 126, the arrangement being such that when 127, projecting as in Fig. 15, is struck by extension 130 of the bob-pin, it swings to the position in Fig. 14, turning shaft 126 with it and swinging the dial cam 120 from its position in Fig. 15 to that in Fig. 14; and likewise, when 125 is struck by 130, it swings from its position in Fig. 14 to that in Fig. 15, taking shaft 126 and thereby cam 120 with it. When the finger 127 comes to its inner or non-projecting position of Fig. 14, the hinge pin 133 passes the center slightly, so that the thrust of the needle butts against the cam 120 is supported by the finger 127 bearing against the shaft 126 at point 134; likewise when the position is reversed (Fig. 15) finger 125 may bear against the shaft. Since, as before indicated, the extension 130 of the bob-pin is to have two upper positions, one to operate 125 and the other to operate 127, this bob-pin also is actuated by two levers 131 and 132 of the controller, in substantially the same manner as the bob-pin 72. The inner end of the lever 131 reaches somewhat higher than the inner end of the lever 132, so that the former (when directed by the controller pattern 70) raises the extension 130 into the path of the fingers 127, while the lever 132 is capable of raising the extension only into the path of the fingers 125; in the lowermost position of the bobpin (to which it may be normally held by a spring, not shown), the extension 130 is out of the path of both groups of fingers 125 and 127. It will be apparent from this construction and from the operation previously described with respect to bob-pin 72 and its related parts that the nee dle-projecting cams 120 of any or all the feeds can be moved at any time to needle-projecting position (Fig. 14) and can be positioned inwardly again (Fig. 15) when desired so that the needles will not project far enough to cast off or take on yarn.

The central controller or controlling mechanism 69 can also control a yarn changer; the one shown is of a somewhat improved kind. In the present instance the yarn changing is controlled by the bob-pin 73 which has a low atrest position in which it does not affect the yarn changer, and as many higher positions as there are different yarns per feed; in each of these higher positions some certain yarn is put into action and the yarn then in action is taken out of action. One of these yarn changers is shown at each feed, and each is partly supported by a bracket 16 which is fastened to the inner dial plate as shown in Fig.1. In Fig. 1 one bracket 16 is shown broken and its yarn changer is omitted to show the parts below it. In the present instance two yarns are assumed to descend to each feed from the yarn cones on the superstructure, not shown, and respectively pass through guides in the changer and to and through the pierced lower ends 141 and 142 of the yarn throw fingers 139 and 140 pivoted to the bracket 16 (see Figs. 17, 18 and 19). These yarn throw fingers can swing on their pivots in adjacent substantially-vertical planes. and they are provided with springs 143 which automatically adjust themselves to hold the fingers in their extreme positions. In Fig. 18 the finger 140 is shown in yarn-feeding position, while the finger 139 is out of yarn-feeding position. In yarnfeeding position the aperture end 141 or 142 (as the case may be) is located close to or within a recess 145 in the lower rearportion of the yarn carrier 146 (Figs. 20 and 21), and from thence the yarn passes to the needles. A lever 147, pivoted at 143, has an inward extension to bear against the throw finger 139 above the pivot of these fingers as shown in Figs. 17 and 18; the free end of this lever projects outwardly from the cam ring. An adjacent and somewhat similar lever 149 is also pivoted at 148 and is arranged to bear against the throw finger 140 above the pivot of the latter; its free end also projects outwardly toward the controller. Below the pivot of the throw fingers, is another pair of quite similar levers (see Fig. 19) also hinged on pin 148, of which the lever 150 is arranged to bear against throw finger 139 while the lever 151 is arranged to bear on throw finger 146, both engaging the throw fingers below the pivot of the latter and both projecting outwardly toward the controller. It will now be apparent (assuming the parts of the device are in the positions shown in Figs. 17, 18 and 19) that by moving lever 150 to the left in Fig. 19, the throw finger 139 can be shifted to bring its end 141 into the recess 145, and that this shifting of this throw finger will shift the lever 147 farther out than shown in Fig. 19. Similarly, by moving the lever 149 to the left in Fig. 17, the throw finger 140 will be thrown over so as to withdraw its apertured end 142 from the recess 145 and place it in about the position occupied by 141 in Fig. 18, and this action will move the free end of lever 151 farther out than shown in Fig. 17. Two extensions 153 and 154 on the bob-pin 73 actuate the levers 147, 149, 150 and 151 to change the positions of the throw fingers in the manner indicated. Since there are here two yarns per feed, the bob-pin 73 has two upper positions, in one of which the extensions are in position to be struck by the levers or operating fingers 149 and 150. and in the other these extensions are in position to be struck by the levers or operating fingers 147 and 151. The bob-pin is raised to these positions by levers of different lengths, 156 and 157, exactly as bob-pin 72 is raised to two upper positions by levers 112 and 113. In the third or lowest position of the bob-pin 73, the extensions 153 and 154 are below the path of the levers 147, 149, 150 and 151 as they are carried around the machine axis. When the bobpin is raised the first step however, by lever 157 (assuming the throw finger 140 of the oncoming feed is feeding yarn at the time) the levers 149 and 150 of one feed will be knocked over by 153 and 154, the lower end 141 of throw finger 139 being thrown thereby into the recess 145 of the plate 146, and the throw finger 140 taken out of action will be substituted. Likewise, when the bob-pin is raised to its highest position, by lever 156, (assuming the throw finger 139 is feeding yarn) the extensions 153 and 154 are struck by the levers 147 and 151 respectively, and hence return 140 and its yarn to action and take 139 and its yarn out of action again. It will be apparent that any yarn at any feed can be taken out of action at any time in this manner and another yarn substituted. In Figs. 17, 18 and 19, levers 149 and 150 are in projected po-' sition, ready to be struck by the respective eX-' tensions when the bob-pin is raised; levers 147 and 151 are in the retracted positions in which they were left after encountering the respective extensions. Extension 153 is placed somewhat behind (angularly) the extension 154, so as to assure getting the new yarn into action before the old yarn is moved to discontinue it.

At the time any yarn is taken out of action. it is necessary to cut it, and usually to hold the loose end. This device comprises a scissor blade and parallel plate fixed to the lower end of the standard 166. and a cooperating scissor blade and plates hinged to the standard at 167. A spring 168 tends to hold the last mentioned blade and plates to the fixed blade and plate in the yarn cuttingand-holding position shown in the drawings. By actuating the hinged parts against the spring 168, the scissors are opened and the held yarn released. To thus open the scissors, a lever or operating finger 165 is fixed to a rotatable post 169 which is provided with a finger 170 on its lower end to be thrust against the tail of the movable part and open the scissors, and the projecting finger 165 can be moved for this purpose by a third extension 155 on the bob-pin 73. This extension is so arranged as to be struck by the finger 165 in all the upper positions of the bob-pin, and opens the scissors and yarn holder just after the throw finger 139 (or 140) is thrown into yam-feeding position. Farther, this extension is so long that it holds the scissors and yarn holder open until the other throw finger 140 (or 139) has moved to its yarn-out position. Movement of the throw finger 140 (139) to its yarn-out position, draws itsyarn between the blades of the open scissors and underneath the hinged plates, and as soon as this occurs the extension 155 leaves the lever 165 and permits the spring 168 to close the scissors. This cuts the outgoing yarn at the scissor blades and retains the loose end of the outgoing yarn between the cooperating plates of the device. The yarn changers, it will be observed, can be used, for example, for putting in and taking out yarns of different colors or kinds as the construction of the fabric may demand.

In connection with bob-pins 72, 73 and 74, it has been shown that the controller can control diflferent sections of the machine independently of each other. In connection with bob-pin 71 it has been shown that a single act of a bob-pin may exert control on the whole of or entirely around, the machine. In connection with bob-pins 72, 73 and 74 it has been shown also that a single bobpin can be used to perform or control a number of functions by being given a number of operating positions, and furthermore can perform or control a number of like functions at different parts of the machine, each independently of the other. A single bob-pin can also be used to perform or control a number of different functions. Illustrative of this, bob-pin 71 has been given control of a cast-off cam 291 in addition to the control of the operation of the pattern sections 26 as previously described. To this end, and in order that the two controls may be exercised without interference, the cast-off cam 291 is located at a quarter of the rotating structure other than that containing the pattern-controlling-slide 94. The purpose of the cast-off cam 291 is to throw the fabric off the cylinder needles, which it does (when placed in operative position) by raising all the cylinder needles to cast-off position at a point where no yarn is fed to the needles. This cam 291 is held (Figs. 23, 24 and 25) by a vertical sliding pin 292 in a vertical slot in the inner face of the cam ring 9 and in a position where, when elevated, it can engage the butts of the needles and raise the latter. A needle-lowering cam, to restore the needles to their initial positions, may be put to the rear of the cast-off cam, and in the machine shown such a cam is so located. Fastened to the pin 292 is a slide 194 (also shown in Fig. 1) which extends down over the outer edge of the cam ring 9 and carries a projecting pin 195; a spring 290 on a supporting and guiding post, tends to push the member 194, pin 292 and cam 291 downwardly to its normal non-operating position. A lever 296, pivoted to the cam ring 9, acts on this pin 195 to lift the slide 194 and thereby cam 291 to needle-raising position, when the lever 296 strikes the extension 91 from the bobpin 71. This it can do when the latter is raised. When once raised by the bob-pin, a spring latch 297 snaps under a shoulder 298 on the slide to hold the slide and cap up, substantially as the latch 99 snaps under the slide 94 of the needle raising cams 12 previously described (Figs. 7, 8 and 9). Also like the latch 99, this latch 297 is so located as to strike the extension 91 from the bob-pin 71 when the latter is in its lower or atrest position and thereby be pushed back from underneath the shoulder 298 to permit the slide 194 and cam 291 to fall. Accordingly, when the bob-pin 71 is held up by its controller lever 76 at a time when the cast-off cam comes opposite it, the cast-oif cam is raised by it, and then remains up, because of the latch 297, for a whole revolution or until the latch is knocked back by the bobpin in the lower position of the latter. Since the cam 291 and the pattern-section-operating-plate 94 are located at different quarters of the rotating structure, and the perforations to call them respectively into action must be at different places on the controller 70, the action of one does not interfere with the action of the other and eachmay be operated independently of the other.

In connection with the bob-pin 71 and the mechanism of Figs. 7, 8 and 9, it has been shown how a single bob-pin, by a single motion, can exert control on a number of devices fixed in place with respect to the controller or central controlling mechanism. In connection with bob-pin 72 (and likewise bob-pins 73 and 74) it has been shown how the controller can control, independently of each other, a number of devices movably mounted with respect to the controller, e. g. mounted on the cam rings. We also show intermediate mechanism through which a bob-pin can control. as a unit, a number of devices movably mounted with respect to the controller, for example, mounted on the cam rings. The machine illustrated has such intermediate mechanism for the cylinder and dial stitch cams. Where there are two banks of needles to interknit on the same fabric, and the needles of one bank knit in a more or less regular manner, while the needles of the other bank may operate in the same way or, alternately, only part of the needles of the latter bank take on yarn from one feed, the other, needles of the latter bank then making their corresponding stitches from the yarn of another or other feeds, we find that certain adjustments of the stitch cams are desirable in many cases when changing from one mode of operation to the other. Such is the situation in the machine illustrated; all the needles of the dial always take on yarn from every feed that supplies yarn to the dial needles; when plain ribbed fabric is being made, all the cylinder needles also take on yarn from every feed working and the number of cylinder stitches per row equal the number of dial stitches; but when figured work is being done, only part of the cylinder needles may take on yarn from some certain feed in some one row, the remaining cylinder needles taking yarn from another orother feeds to complete the row, so that that row of stitches will contain more dial stitches than cylinder stitches. To accommodate both the plain knit and such pattern work, we change the length of the cylinder stitches and the timing of the drawing of the stitches on the dial needles; specifically, when doing such figured work we draw shorter stitches on the cylinder needles than when doing plain knitting, and we cause the dial needles to complete their loops earlier (more promptly after the yarn is fed to them) when we are doing such pattern work and later when doing plain knitting. To these ends, the cylinder stitch cams 10 are arranged to be raised and lowered by the central controlling mechanism 69, and each feed on the dial is provided with two stitch cams 180 and 181 (Fig. 14), one behind the other circumferentially, and the cam in advance, namely cam 180, is movable into and out of operation under the control of the central controlling mechanism. The central controlling mechanism acts on these cams through an oscillatable ring 186, mounted in the cam cylinder 9. This ring 186 has a pin 187 (Figs. 1 and 27) engaged by a yoke 188 fastened to the shaft 189 mounted in the cam cylinder 9. A pinion 190 couples this shaft 189 to a second pinion 191 on a parallel shaft 192 which has a finger 193 projecting radially from the outer face of the cam ring 9 as shown. This finger 193 stands at about the same level as the un-, derside of the lever 98, and when projected (Fig. 1), will be struck by extension 91 from the bobpin 71 when the latter is raised; it will be observed that the finger 193 is located in a quadrant other than that which contains the lever 98, so that a perforation at a certain place in the controller pattern 70 will raise 91 to actuate lever 98, while a perforation at another place in the pattern is required to raise 91 to actuate 193. One operation does not interfere with the other therefore. Assuming finger 193 to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, it is apparent that when extension 91 is raised into the path of this finger 193, the finger will be knocked to the left (to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 27) and this action will turn the two shafts so that the yoke 188, engaging the pin 187, will shift the ring 186 counterclockwise, i. e. in the direction of movement of the cam rings. To return the ring 186, the ring 186 has a second pin 197 in another quadrant. This pin is also engaged by a yoke 198 fastened to a shaft 199. In this instance, the operating finger 200 is fastened directly to this shaft 199; like finger 193 it projects from the side of the cam ring 9 at the same level. Assuming that the ring 186 has been oscillated counterclockwise from its position in Fig. 1, it is apparent that when the extension 91 of bob-pin 71 is raised into the path of the finger 200, this finger will be knocked to the left and thereby the ring 186 oscillated in the clockwise direction to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1. This oscillating of the ring 186 shifts the cylinder and dial cams 10 and 180 by means of the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15. It is to be understood that the stitch cams of all the feeds are (or at least may be) adjustable by mechanism such as shown in these figures. At each feed the ring 186 is provided with a pin 202, engaged by a yoke 203, fastened to a vertical shaft 204 in the cam ring 9. Slightly above the top of the cam ring 9, an arm 205 is clamped to the shaft 204, and carries a pin 206 to engage with the top of the member 207 which has an incline on it. The member 207 is mounted on a pin 203 which carries the cylinder stitch cam 10; a spring 209 may be used to help lift the cam 10 when the latter is released for lifting. It will be apparent that the oscillation of the rim 186 from one position to the other will turn the shaft 204, and this will carry the pin 206 from the upper to the lower face of the cam member 207 or vice versa, thus forcing the cam 10 down to its long-stitch position or releasing it for upward movement to its short-stitch position. Nearer the top of the shaft 204, the shaft has clamped to it a shoulder member 212 to engage an oscillator 213 hinged on the dial cam plate 20 and yoked to a pin 214 projecting from the dial stitch cam 180 through a slot in the cam plate; a spring 215 keeps the oscillator 213 bearing against the shoulder member 212 and tends to retract the stitch cam 180 to its inoperating position when the shoulder member is turned to permit this action. The shoulder member 212 is so located on the shaft 204, that the dial stitch cam 180 is held in its operative position shown in Fig. 14 when the cylinder stitch cam 10 is in its upper or short-stitch position. Vice-verse, when the cylinder stitch cam 10 is depressed to its long-stitch position, the dial stitch cam 180 is held retracted, inoperative, and the drawing of the loops by the dial needles is done at a later time by means of the dial stitch cam 181. It will be apparent that by providing perforations at the proper places in the controller pattern 1'70, the bob-pin '71 and its extension 91 can be raised at the proper times to oscillate the ring 186 one way or the other as the positioning of the stitch cams 10 and180 may require. As before indicated, the cylinder stitch earns 10 are usually held in their upper positions shown in Fig. 11 and the dial stitch cams 180 are held in their operative positions of Fig. 14, while the pattern mechanism is operating to do figured work; contra, the cylinder stitch cams 10 are usually held at their lower positions of Fig. 12 and the dial stitch cams 180 are held retracted and inoperative at those times when the cylinder raising cams 12 are held in their operative positions shown in Fig. 12 and the pattern mechanism is inoperative.

It will be apparent that collectively the various devices and parts of the machine described can be employed in a number of ways to produce a number of different fabrics and results. As a single illustration of the usefulness of them all, we shall describe the knitting of a fabric for skirts, the fabric being divided into skirt lengths loosely held together by a draw thread, each length having a bottom hem, and the body of each skirt being partly of figured fabric and partly of plain fabric. For the purposes of this description, assume that each of three of the feeds of the machine illustrated is supplied with a black yarn and a white yarn and that the fourth feed (the one immediately to the rear of the castoff cam) is supplied with white yarn in one of its throw fingers and appropriate yarn for a draw'thread in its other throw finger. Assume, also, that the pattern sections 26 are out of action, that all four cylinder earns 12 are raised and operating the cylinder needles, that the four dial cams 120 are acting to project the dial needles to yarn-taking positions, and that the cylinder stitch cams 10 are at their lower positions of Fig. 12 and the dial stitch cams 180 are retracted and inoperative. With the cams thus arranged, the machine makes plain-ribbed fabric, say from the white yarn. After a few courses of this plain fabric have been made, a new skirt length is begun by a perforation in the controller pattern causing the yarn changer carrying the draw thread to take its white yarn out of action and put the draw thread into action. Immediately thereafter, three successive perforations in the controller pattern '70 cause the retraction of the dial cams 120 of the other three feeds. With this set-up of the cams, the draw thread is knitted at one feed by both the dial needles and the cylinder needles; at the other three feeds however, the cylinder needles continue knitting, say, white yarn (all four cams 12 having been left in action) but the dial needles are inactive. When the draw thread has been knitted once entirely around the machine, another perforation in the pattern 70 causes the draw thread to be thrown out of action and returns, say, the white yarn into action at that feed. At the same time that the draw thread is taken out of action, the cast-off cam 291 is brought into action (by a perforation placed adjacent the perforation taking the draw thread out of action) to cast off all the loops on the cylinder needles. This entirely releases the old fabric from the cylinder needles; the previous knitting by the cylinder needles at three feeds behind the draw thread feed, prevents the fabric unravelling unduly after being cast-01f these needles. At the feed containing the draw thread, the needle-projecting cams 12 and 120, continuing to operate but knitting white yarn, now begin the new length. Also the cam 12 at the feed immediately behind the feed containing the draw thread is permitted to knit, but at the next feed (the second feed from the feed containing the draw thread) the dial cam 120 is thrown into position to project its needles and the cam 12 is thrown out of action. At the fourth feed the cam 12 is permitted to remain in action but the cam 120 remains out of action. As the feed containing the draw thread again reaches the controller 69, the needle-cam 12 of that feed is taken out of action by a perforation in the pattern 70. This leaves two diametrically opposite dial cams 120 in operation and (at the other two feeds) two diametrically-opposite cams 12 in operation. With this arrangement of cams, the dial needles form one fabric, and the cylinder needles form another fabric, the two fabrics being attached together however at what will be the very bottom of the skirt. This knitting of two fabrics, side by side, will continue until the desired length of hem has been made. When this has been made, other perforations in the controller pattern 70 bringing the remaining dial cams 120 into action, will cause the two fabrics controller pattern 70 as will cause the pattern sections 26 to return to action, retract the cylinder cams 12 to inoperative position, lift the stitch cams 10 and retract the dial stitch cams 180 to inoperative position. In lieu of figured work, vertical stripes can be made by so perforating the patterns 30 of the pattern sections 26 that black yarn is knitted into the fabric at certain wales and white yarn at other wales. Plain knitting can be resorted to again if desired, or alternated with figured work, by further perforations changing the cams and discontinuing or returning the pattern mechanism to operation as will be understood. When the end of the desired skirt length is approached, all the cylinder cams 12 and the dial cams can be brought again into action (if not already in action), and the pattern sections 26 taken out of action. Again at the proper point, the draw thread is brought into knitting position and thereafter another hem and skirt length begun, as before described. After the fabric leaves the machine the different individual skirt lengths can be separated, one from another, by simply pulling out the draw threads, leaving complete garment-length pieces of fabric, each hemmed at one end and ready for finishing. It will be observed that the whole of the making of the skirt length is automatic regardless of the complexity of the operation and fabric, and wholly dependent on the will of the operator as expressed in the perforating of the controller pattern 70 and the perforating of the figuring patterns 30.

Hereinafter in the claims, where I use the term bob-pin it is to be understood that I include in that term any member that is arranged to strike or be struck by an operating device revolving with respect to the bob-pin; in other words, any member operating in the manner of the bob-pins 71, '72, 73 and 74, regardless of whether or not they incorporate sliding posts as do these. In general, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and operation hereinabove described, nor is it necessary that all the parts described be employed in each instance, but some of these parts and some combinations of them are useful to and from a position wherein it casts off the loops on the needles of the first mentioned bank at a point where no yarn is supplied, and a controller controlling the yarn changer and' the adjustment of said mechanism and means to and from their said positions.

2. In a circular knitting machine having dial and cylinder needles, a plurality of yarn changers, a cam at each of said yarn changers for raising the cylinder needles to yarn-taking position, said cams being separately adjustable to and from their positions in which they so raise the needles, a cam at each of said yarn changers for projecting the dial needles to yarntaking position, said cams being separately adjustable to and from their positions in which they so project the dial needles, a pattern mechanism for controlling the operations of one bank of needles, a cam movable to and from a position wherein it can project the needles of one bank to cast-oil. positions at a point where no yarn is fed to those needles, and a controller to separately control the yarn changers, the positioning of said cams and the operation of the pattern mechanism.

3. In a circular knitting machine having a bank of dial needles and a bank of cooperating cylinder needles, a plurality of yarn changers, a cam at each of said yarn changers for raising the cylinder needles to cast-off position, said cams being adjustable to and from their positions in which they so raise the needles, a cam at each of said yarn changers for projecting the dial needles to cast-off position, said cams being adjustable to and from their positions in which they so project the dial needles, a cam movable to and from a position where it can raise the cylinder needles to cast-off position at a point where no yarn is supplied to the cylinder needles, said yarn changers and cams on the one hand and the two banks of needles on the other hand being relatively revolvable about the machine axis to make fabric, a pattern mechanism for raising selected needles to cast-off position at each yarn changer, said pattern mechanism being fixed in position with respect to the needle banks and being adjustable into and out of operation, a controller fixed in position with respect to the needle banks, said controller having a plurality of bob-pins, a pattern, bob-pincontrolling feelers for engaging the pattern, and means for raising the bob-pins selected by the call of the-pattern on the feelers, mechanism fixed in place with respect to the yarn changers and said cams to strike bob-pins as one rotates with respect to the other and thereby produce corresponding changers in the adjustment of the yarn changers and cams respectively, and mechanism through which the controller can put the pattern mechanism into and out of action.

4. In a circular knitting machine having cooperating banks of dial and cylinder needles, a plurality of yarn changers, a cam at each of said yarn changers for raising cylinder needles to cast-off position, a cam at each of said yarn changers for projecting dial needles to cast-off position, a cam for raising the cylinder needles to cast-off position at 'a point where no yarn is supplied to the needles, said yarn changers and cams on the one-hand being revolvable about the machine axis with respect to said banks on the other hand and each cambeing individually movable to and from the position in which it actuates needles as described, a pattern mechanism divided into a number of sections fixed in place around the machine axis and each comprising a plurality of levers respectively related to needles of one of said banks, feeler means related to each of said levers and a pattern for calling the feelers, means for operating the levers in accordance with the call of the pattern on the respective feelers to cause the actuation of the related needles in accordance with said call, means for raising and. lowering said levers by groups to remove and replace the feelers in operative relation to said pat tern, a controller fixed in place and comprising bob-pins, levers for raising the bob-pins, feelers related to said controller levers, a pattern for calling the feelers of said controller levers and means for operating the controller levers to raise the bob-pins in accordance with the call of said controller pattern on said controller feelers, individual mechanisms revolving with the yarn changers to strike a bob-pin and be actuated thereby to adjust the respective yarn changer, individual mechanisms revolving with said cams to strike bob-pins and be actuated thereby to move the respective cams to and from their operative positions, and mechanism revolving with said cams to strike a bob-pin and be actuated thereby to actuate said means for raising and lowering the levers of the pattern mechanism.

5. In a circular knitting machine, a number of pattern mechanisms to control the knitting of the needles of a circular bank of needles thereof, said mechanisms being distributed around the machine axis and fixed in position with respect to said needle bank, and each said mechanism comprising a pattern and a plurality of feelers to coact with the pattern, a controller for said mechanisms also fixed in position with respect to said needle bank, and a movable device to be moved by said controller to and from a position in which it can displace feelers by groups from coacting relation to their patterns, said movable device and bank of needles being relatively revolvable around the machine axis, and said movable device being moved to and from its said position by being struck by or striking said controller as one passes the other and actuating said feelers as said device and mechanisms pass each other.

6. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a device movable around the machine axis with respect to a circular bank of needles and movable to different positions to vary the fabric, of a controller pattern mounted at a place fixed with respect to said bank of needles, a feeler to coact therewith, means related to said feeler and subject to the call of said controller pattern on said feeler, and a cam fixed in position with respect to said device to actuate such means, when called on by the controller pattern, to cause said means to exercise its control on said device.

7. In combination with a circular knitting machine having a plurality of feeds and a device for each of a number of said feeds movable to different positions to vary the fabric, of a controller pattern, a feeler to coact therewith, said controller pattern being advanced to bring a new call to said feeler a plurality of times in individual revolutions of the machine, means related to said feeler and subject to the call of said controller pattern on said feeler, and means other than the pattern to actuate the first mentioned means, when called by the controller pattern, to cause the first mentioned means to exercise its control on said devices, the last mentioned means acting each time the controller pattern brings a new call to said feeler.

8. The combination with a circular knitting machine having a number of devices which, relative to a needle bank, revolve about the machine axis and which are movable to different positions to vary the fabric, of a number of bob-pins located at a place fixed with respect to said needle bank and movable to and from positions in which they strike or are struck by said devices as said devices and bob-pins revolve, one with respect to the other, about the machine axis, individual members to move the bob-pins, a pattern coacting with said members to select members to be actuated, and other means to actuate selected members to move bob-pins.

9. The combination of claim 8 characterized by the fact that said members which move the bob-pins are levers.

10. The combination of claim 8 characterized by the fact that said members which move the bob-pins are levers, and a cam or cams carried in fixed relation to said devices actuates the selected levers to move the bob-pins.

11. The combination with a circular knitting machine having a number of devices which, relative to a needle bank, revolve about the machine axis and which are movable to different positions to vary the fabric, of a bob-pin located at a place fixed with respect to said needle bank and movable to and from positions in which it strikes or is struck by said devices as said devices and bob-pin revolves, one with respect to the other, about the machine axis, a plurality of members to move said bob-pin, a pattern coacting with said members to select the said members for actuation, and other means to actuate selected members to move the bob-pin, said members penetrating to different distances into the operating path of said means so that said members move the bob-pin to different positions.

12. The combination of claim 11, characterized by the fact that said members which move the bob-pin are sliding levers which, when selected by the pattern, are slid into the path of a cam fixed in place with respect to said devices and which turns the levers to move the bob-pin, and that the levers are of different lengths so that the cam can move the bob-pin to the different positions.

13. The combination with a circular knitting machine in which a circular bank of stitchforming elements and devices to actuate the stitch-forming elements thereof move relatively, one with respect to the other, about the machine axis, of a mechanism to control the actuation of stitch-forming elements divided into sections distributed around the machine axis and fixed in place with respect to said bank, each section comprising a pattern and feelers coacting therewith, means to displace each pattern and its feelers one with respect to the other, to discontinue the operation of the respective section, an operator for said means, said operator being fixed in place with respect to the said devices and a controller, fixed in place with respect to said bank of stitch-forming elements to control said operator.

14. In combination with a knitting machine, a mechanism to control the actuation of stitchforming elements thereof, said mechanism including a pattern and feelers coacting therewith, means to advance the pattern to bring new calls to the feelers, and means to displace the feelers and pattern, one with respect to the other, to discontinue the operation of said mechanism, the last mentioned means holding the feelers and 150 pattern displaced while said pattern advancing means advances the pattern to pass a plurality of calls through the calling position.

15. The combination of claim 14, characterized by the fact that the support for the pattern, adjacent the feelers, remains at a fixed place with respect to the bank of stitch-forming elements and said means lifts the feelers away from the pattern. v

16. In a circular knitting machine having a circular bank of stitch-forming elements and a cam revolvable, one with respect to the other, about the machine axis, said cam being movable to and from a position in which it can actuate stitch-forming elements of said bank, a toggle connected to the cam to support the same in element-actuating position, and a. controller, located at a place fixed with respect to said bank, having a plurality of operating positions, in one of which positions it can straighten out the toggle, as one revolves with respect to the other, and in another of which positions it can collapse the toggle.

17. In a circular knitting machine having a circular bank of needles and a yarn changer which revolve, one with respect to the other, about the machine axis, said yarn changer having a plurality of throw fingers for the yarns and a pair of levers for each throw finger, the levers being mounted separate from the throw fingers and the levers of each pair actuating their respective throwfingers in opposite directions, said levers projecting outwardly from the machine axis different distances in their different positions, and a controller located at a place fixed with respect to said bank and having a plurality of positions in which it can strike or be struck by said levers respectively to move the same to actuate the throw fingers as the relative movement of the yarn changer and the controller brings one opposite the other.

18. In a circular knitting machine having a circular bank of stitch-forming elements, pattern mechanisms, distributed at fixed places about said bank, to control the operation of the stitchforming elements, each of said mechanisms com prising a pattern, a plurality of feelers to coact with said pattern, and a star wheel to put the respective pattern and its feelers into and out of operation, a controller, also located at a fixed place with respect to said bank, to control the turning of said star wheels, a device revolving, with respect to said bank, about the machine axis and movable to and from a position in which it can turn said star wheels as said device and the star wheelsrevolve one with respect to the other, the relation between said device and individual star wheels being such that said device, when in said position, can turn each of said star wheels a step each time the device passes-the respective star wheels, spring-means to move said device to one of its positions, and a latch to hold said device in another of its positions against the tension of the spring, said controller having means movable to a position where it can strike or be struck by said device to move the latter to the position in which the device is held by the latch and movable to another position in which it can strike or be struck by the latch to release the device from the latch.

19. In a circular knitting machine, a circular bed for needles, two feeds, located substantially diametrically opposite each other, said feeds and needle bed being rotatable continuously in one direction, one with respect to the other, and each of said feeds including a member movable in position, each independently of the other, to change the knitting at the respective feed, two projecting means, one allocated to each of said feeds, to move said movable members, each of 'said projecting means being independent of the other and operable independently of the other, controller mechanism fixed in position with respect to said needle bed and including means movable into and out of the paths of said projecting means to strike or be struck by said projecting means as the latter and the controller revolve, one with respect to the other, to operate said projecting means and thereby cause said members of said two feeds to change their positions, a pattern to control the positioning of the said means of the controller, and means arranged to advance said pattern to make two calls on the last mentioned means in single rotations of the feeds with respect to the needle beds, whereby said movable members of the feeds are separately controlled and changed in position, each regardless of any movement and the position of the other.

20. In a circular knitting machine, a circular bed for sliding needles, a plurality of feeds each of which includes needle-operating cam movable into and out of operating position and a movable device for moving said movable cam of the respective feed, said cams being individually movable to and from their operating positions independently of each other, and said movable devices being individually movable independently of each other, and said needle bed and said plurality of feeds rotating one with respect to the other, bob-pin means located in a fixed position with respect to said needle bed and there movable into and out of position where said means can strike or be struck by said devices, and thereby the latter moved, as said plurality of feeds and the needle bed rotate one with respect to the other, pattern means to move said bob-pin means, and means for advancing said pattern means at such a rate as to make, in single rotations of said plurality of feeds with respect to the needle bed, as many calls on said bob-pin means as there are feeds in said plurality.

21. In a circular knitting machine, a circular bed for sliding needles, a plurality of feeds each of which includes a. needle-operating cam movable into and out of operating position and a movable device for moving said movable cam of the respective feed, said cams being individually movable to and from their operating positions independently of each other, and said movable devices being individually movable independ ently of each other, and said needle bed and said plurality of feeds rotating one with respect to the other, a single bob-pin located in a fixed position with respect to said needle bed and there movable into and out of position where said means can strike or be struck by said devices as said plurality of feeds and theneedle bed rotate one with respect to the other and thereby said devices operated to reposition said cams, pattern means to move said bob-pin, and means to advance said pattern means, to make new calls on the bob-pin, as many steps, in single rotations of said plurality of feeds with respect to the needle bed, as there are feeds in said plurality.

22. In a circular knitting machine, a circular bed for sliding needles, a plurality of feeds each of which includes a needle-operating cam movable into and out of operating position and a movable device for moving said movable cam of the respective feed, said cams being individually movable to and from their operating positions independently of each other, and said movable devices being individually movable independently of each other, said needle bed and said plurality of feeds rotating one with respect to the other. and each of said movable devices having at least two fingers in different planes for engagement with the bob-pin hereinafter mentioned, a single bob-pin located in a fixed position with respect to said needle bed and there movable to and from at least three positions, in one of which said bob-pin passes or is passed by all of said fingers without engagement therewith, in another of which the bob-pin is engageable with one of said fingers of each of said movable devices, and in the third of which positions the bob-pin is engageable with the other finger of each of said movable devices, all as said plurality of feeds and said needle bed rotate one with respect to the other, and means to reposition said bob-pin as many times, in single rotations of said plurality of feeds with respect to the needle bed, as there are feeds in said plurality.

23. In a circular knitting machine, a circular bed for sliding needles, a plurality of feeds each of which includes a needle-operating cam movable into and out of operating position and a movable device for moving said movable cam of the respective feed, said cams being individually movable to and from their operating positions independently of each other, and said movable devices being individually movable independently of each other, and said needle bed and said plurality of feeds rotating one with respect to the other, a pattern mechanism, fixed in position with respect to the needle bed, to control the operation of needles of the machine, another device located at a fixed position with respect to said feeds and there movable into and out of position where it can strike or be struck by said pattern mechanism to put the latter into or out of action, bob-pin means located at a fixed position with respect to said needle bed and there movable into and out of position when said means can strike or be struck by said movable devices of the feeds, and thereby the latter moved, another bob-pin means located adjacent the first mentioned bob-pin means and then movable into and out of position where said another bob-pin can strike or be struck by said another device and thereby the latter moved, pattern means to move said bob-pin means, and means for advancing said pattern means at such a rate as to make, in single rotations of said plurality of feeds with respect to the needle bed, as many calls on the first mentioned bob-pin means as there are feeds in said plurality.

24. In a circular knitting machine, a circular bed for sliding needles, a plurality of feeds each of which includes a needleoperating cam movable into and out of operating position and a movable device for moving said movable cam of the respective feed, said cams being individually movable to and from their operating positions independently of each other, and said movable devices being individually movable independently of each other, and said needle bed and said plurality of feeds rotating one with respect to the other, a pattern mechanism, fixed in position with respect to the needle bed, to control the operation of needles of the machine, another device located at a fixed position with respect to said feeds and there movable into and out of position where it can strike or be struck by said pattern mechanism to put the latter into or out of action, bob-pin means located at a fixed position with respect to said needle bed and there movable into and out of position when said means can strike or be struck by said movable devices of the feeds and thereby the latter moved, another bob-pin means located adjacent the first mentioned bob-pin means and there movable into and out of position where said another bob-pin means can strike or be struck by said another device and thereby the latter moved, each of said feeds including a yarn changing mechanism, three bob-pin means located adjacent each other at a fixed position with respect to said needle bed and there individually movable into and out of positions where one of said bob-pins canstrike or be struck by said movable devices of the feeds, another of said bob-pin means can strike or be struck by said another device, and the third of said bob-pin means can strike or be struck by said yarn changing mechanisms, pattern means to move said bob-pin means individually, and means for advancing said pattern means at such a rate as to make, in single rotations of said plurality of feeds with respect to the needle bed, as many calls on said one and on said third bobpin means as there are feeds in said plurality.

25. In a circular knitting machine having a circular bed for stitch-forming-elements, a pattern mechanism to control the action of said stitch-forming-elements, said pattern mechanism comprising a plurality of sections distributed around the axis of said circular bed, and means for putting said sections into and out of action successively.

26. In a multifeed circular knitting machine having two beds for needles cooperating to interknit in the same fabric, and having yarn guiding means, revolving with respect to said beds, arranged to feed a plurality of yarns simultaneously, means for causing selective knitting of the yarns of said yarn guides on the needles of one of said beds, in the formation of individual rows of the stitches knitted on said bed, and alternately therewith, causing substantially all the stitches of individual rows knitted on the said bed to be formed from one yarn, mechanism for causing the formation of loops on, and the casting-oif of loops from the needles of the other of said beds in substantially regular manners, and means for changing the times of forming the loops on the needles of one of said beds with respect to the times of forming the loops on the needles of the other of said beds, the last mentioned means being operable to make such change when the knitting on the first mentioned of said beds is changed from said selective knitting to the knitting of substantially all the stitches of individual rows from one yarn, and vice versa.

27. In a multifeed circular knitting machine having two beds for needles cooperating to interknit in the same fabric, and having yarn guiding means, revolving with respect to said beds, arranged to feed a plurality of yarns simultaneously, means for causing selective knitting of the yarns of said yarn guides on the needles of one of said beds, in the formation of individual rows of the stitches knitted on said bed, and alternately therewith, causing substantially all the stitches of individual rows knitted on the said bed to be formed from one yarn, mechanism for causing the formation of loops on, and the casting-01f of loops from, the needles of the other of said beds in substantially regular manners, and means for changing angularly the position at which the loops are formed on the needles of said other bed, the last mentioned means being operable to make such change when the knitting on the first mentioned of said beds is changed from said selective knitting to the knitting of substantially all the stitches of individual rows from one yarn, and vice versa.

28. The subject matter of claim 26 characterized by the fact that said means for changing the times of forming the loops on the needles of one of said beds includes two cams for one of said yarns, said two cams occupying different angular positions and the more advanced of said two cams being movable into and out of operating position.

29. In a multifeed circular knitting machine having two beds for needles cooperating to interknit in the same fabric, and having yarn guiding means, revolving with respect to said beds, arranged to feed a plurality of yarns simultaneously, means for causing selective knitting of the yarns of said yarn guides on the needles of one of said beds, in the formation of individual rows of the stitches knitted on said bed, and alternately therewith, causing substantially all the stitches of individual rows knitted on the said bed to be formed from one yarn, mechanism for causing the formation of loops on, and the casting-01f of loops from, the needles of the other of said beds in substantially regular manners, and means for changing the times of forming the loops on the needles of one of said beds with respect to the times offorming the loops on the needles of the other of said needle beds and for changing the lengths of the stitches drawn on the needles of one of said beds, the last mentioned means being operable to make such change when the knitting on the first mentioned of said beds is changed from said selective knitting to the knitting of substantially all the stitches of individual rows from one yarn, and vice versa.

30. In a multifeed circular knitting machine having two beds for needles cooperating to interknit in the same fabric, and having yarn guiding means, revolving with respect to said beds, arranged to feed a plurality of yarns simultaneously, means for causing selective knitting of the yarns of said yarn guides on the needles of one of said beds, in the formation of individual rows of the stitches knitted on said bed, and alternately therewith, causing substantially all the stitches of individual rows knitted on the said bed to be formed from one yarn, mechanism for causing the formation of loops on, and the casting-off of loops from, the needles of the other of said beds in substantially regular manners, and means for changing the times of forming the loops on the needles on one of said beds and for changing the lengths of the stitches drawn on the needles of the opposite of said beds, the last mentioned means being operable to make such change when the knitting on the first mentioned of said beds is changed from selective knitting to the knitting of substantially all the stitches of individual rows from one yarn, and vice versa.

31. In a multifeed circular knitting machine having two beds for needles cooperating to interknit in the same fabric, and having yarn guiding means, revolving with respect to said beds, arranged to feed a plurality of yarns simultaneously, means for causing selective knitting of the yarns of said yarn guides on the needles of one of said beds, in the formation of individual rows of the stitches knitted on said bed, and alternately therewith, causing substantially all the stitches of individual rows knitted on the said bed to be formed from one yarn, mechanism for causing the formation of loops on, and the casting-off of loops from, the needles of the other of said beds in substantially regular manners, and means for changing angularly the position at which the loops are formed on the needles of said other bed, and for changing the lengths of the stitches drawn on the needles of the first mentioned one of said beds, the last mentioned means being operable to make such change when the knitting on the first mentioned of said beds is changed from said selective knitting to the knitting of substantially all the stitches of individual rows from one yarn, and vice versa.

32. In a multifeed circular knitting machine, two cooperating beds for sliding needles, yarn feeding means for simultaneously feeding a plurality of yarns and feeding said yarns to the needles of both beds, said beds and yarn feeding means being relatively revoluble, means to project substantially all the needles of one of said beds to yarn-taking position at each of said yarns in individual relative revolutions of the beds and yarn feeding means, pattern means to cause, in the formation of individual rows of the stitches formed on said one bed, the projection of some of the needles of said one bed to take one of said yarns and the projection of the remainder of the needles of the same bed to take another or others of said yarns, said needle-projecting means and pattern means being alternatively operable, stitch cams to retract the needles of said one bed, said stitch cams being adjustable to change the lengths of the stitches drawn on the needles of said one of the beds, means for projecting needles of the other of said beds to yarn-taking position at each of said yarns, and stitch means for retracting the needles of said other bed to cast-off positions, stitch means being adjustable to change angularly the position at which needles of said other bed are retracted to cast off loops of at least one of said yarns.

HARRY ALBERTMAN. JULIUS SIRMAY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. i.933,542. November 7, 1933.

HARRY ALBERTMAN, ET AL.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above nutnhered patent requiring eorrection as follows: Page 13, line 50, claim 23, otter "hob-pin" insert the word means; and that the said Letters Patent should he read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Qfiice.

Signeri and sealed this 19th day of December, A. D. i933.

Richard Spencer Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

